1. Advice Request: How to be a Good MentorFrom: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]

AASWOMEN has had an anonymous request for advice on how to be a successful mentor to undergraduate students:

I would like all the help I can get on being a mentor. While I had good advisors (in the formal sense of that word) as a student, I've never really had a mentor. As a tenured professor, I now find myself in a position to mentor undergraduates with a wide range of experiences, needs, and expectations. As gender issues (problems) come up in my department, I am often unsure of how to address them in my unofficial role as a mentor. I want to do more than just tell students how I would have handled the problem when I was an undergrad. I'm flying by the seat of my pants, as the saying goes, and would appreciate insight from others.

Back to top.2. University of Michigan ADVANCEFrom: Ed Deluca [edeluca_at_cfa.harvard.edu]

[Several alert readers have pointed us to the website for the University of Michigan ADVANCE program, one of the best in the nation - Eds.]

If the administrators at your college or university are not following the practices described in the 'Handbook for Faculty Searches and Hiring,' please investigate ways of encouraging them to do so. It includes extensive discussions on creating a diverse applicant pool, a sample candidate evaluation sheet, and an extensive bibliography.

Back to top.3. The GAPP ProjectFrom: Kevin Marvel [kevin.marvel_at_aas.org]

I was unaware of this project until reviewing a recent issue of research.eu, a publication from the European Union. I wanted to share the website of the project with the AASWOMEN readers:

Description form the website: It is well known that in Europe young people are losing contact with science and the number of science students in universities has decreased. At the same time, in this context a gender difference does exist: girls appear less interested in science and technology than boys and a gender disparity emerges from university matriculations in 'hard science' faculties, such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, or technological faculties, such as information science or engineering.

The GAPP project will act on both these levels by establishing an integrated process of qualitative research and by developing new practices in science communication and education. The aim is to understand the reasons for this lack of interest young people - girls in particular - show in science and technology, to subsequently implement a social dialogue among the different stakeholders. This implies: firstly, identifying young people’s issues and expectations; secondly, developing and testing a range of practical activities to overcome gender differences.

These goals will be achieved through a range of research instruments and participative procedures. It will take the discussion to a deeper level and will provide the opportunity to develop creative solutions and 'pilot activities' to test the proposed practical solutions. Each phase will provide results - useful per se - to be also the basis for the next step in activities. The overall process and outcomes will be assessed and published for the subsequent dissemination of findings and recommendations to take into account the gender dimension in science education and in career guidance. A final conference is scheduled in order to spread the results to policymakers and experts all over Europe.

Back to top.4. AAS Professional Development WorkshopsFrom: Kelle Cruz [kellecruz_at_gmail.com]

As mentioned in the most recent AAS Electronic Announcement, the professional development offerings at the AAS meeting have been expanded. In particular, workshops on leadership, negotiating, and writing productivity are being offered this January for $50 each. You can sign up for them on the meeting registration page at http://members.aas.org . The intention is that these types of workshops become a regular part of the meeting.

Emerging Leadership: Development of leadership skills in problem-solving and leading change Tues morning (8:30am - 12pm) Intended Audience: Early-career scientists who are or wish to be in a leadership position (Post-Docs, Junior Faculty, and Staff). Limited to 25 participants.

Do you guide other people's research projects? Do you plan to be or are you currently the Principal Investigator on projects with several collaborators? Are you frequently in committee meetings, and sometimes chairing them? Do you want to eventually be a team lead, department chair or dean? This workshop will focus on some of the leadership skills that are necessary to perform effectively in these roles. Participants will increase their leadership skills by understanding effective and ineffective leadership characteristics, personal leadership strengths and development needs, leadership negotiation and problem-solving, how to lead change, among other topics. Attendees will select a case to practice in a role-play exercise. Participants will practice leadership skills; get feedback from coaches; and discuss best techniques for leading successfully.

Basic Negotiations, Problem Solving and Conflict Resolution [Note: this workshop will be very similar to the one offered at WIA III in Oct.] Tues Afternoon (2 - 6pm) Intended Audience: Graduate students and Post-Docs. Limited to 25 participants.

This seminar is designed to build understanding of mutual interest based negotiations or solution finding by developing understanding of the parties’ interests and developing alternatives that enhance the possibility of reaching agreement. Participants will evaluate their personal conflict resolution styles. Case studies will reinforce the use of effective styles in negotiating and problem-solving. Case practice will include a competitive job offer, committee service, salary increase and assuring research resources. These cases help define patterns of negotiations when choice and stress are factors. Development of supporting data, options and packaging solutions are examined relative to these cases. Several methods of responding to difficult tactics will be demonstrated and discussed.

Not Another Scientific Presentation: How to maximize your productivity on long-term writing projects Wed afternoon (2 - 4pm) Intended Audience: Anyone who would like to increase their writing productivity.

Do you have research that has gone unpublished because you can’t make yourself finish the manuscript? Do you sometimes suffer from writer’s block? Do you wait for that elusive free morning in order to concentrate on your writing, but find that the time is never available? Or do you just plain procrastinate on writing? This seminar will present simple, doable action steps that you can take to increase and maintain your writing productivity over the course of a long-term writing project. If you’ve been unhappy with your writing output, the strategies presented here can help you turn around your writing habits, while dispelling common myths about writing that impede productivity.

Applications for must be received by December 15, 2009 to be considered by a subcommittee of the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP). In the event that the number of requests for grants exceeds the funding available, preference will be given to applicants in the early stages of their careers.

Similar grants will be available in connection with the March 15-19, 2010 APS meeting in Portland, Oregon. Information will be posted on the Meetings website in October.

A postdoctoral position in experimental astrophysics is available in the group of Professor Gianfranco Vidali at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY (USA). The candidate will work on a new project to study the formation of molecules on surfaces of interstellar dust analogues. The position begins in early 2010 and is for one year renewable for a second year.

The successful candidate should hold a PhD in physics or related field and have a strong experience in ultra-high vacuum and surface science techniques. Additional experience in atomic/molecular beams and low temperature techniques is a plus. Review of materials will begin immediately and applications will be considered until the position is filled. Qualified candidates should send to Professor Gianfranco Vidali gvidali_at_syr.edu their curriculum vitae, list of publications, a statement describing their qualifications, and the email addresses/phone numbers of three references. Electronic application materials are preferred (please include them as an email attachment). For further information about the research in Prof. Vidali's group see the Web-site

Department of Physics and Astronomy of the Johns Hopkins University invites applications for a faculty position in astrophysics. We will consider applicants in all subfields of astrophysics. We expect that this appointment will be made at the level of assistant professor, but appointments at a higher level may be possible in exceptional cases.

Current faculty members are active in theory, developing astronomical instrumentation (particularly for space-based and sub-orbital platforms), observational astronomy across a wide range of wavelengths, and data intensive science. Research interests of the current faculty members include planetary science, extra-solar planets, the interstellar medium, stellar populations, high-energy astrophysics, active galaxies, galaxy formation and evolution, and cosmology.

Johns Hopkins is a member of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey III and Pan-STARRS 1 projects, owns a share of the Apache Point Observatory 3.5m telescope, is the lead institution on WMAP and an institutional member of the GALEX mission. We are playing a leading role in the National Virtual Observatory. We cooperate closely with the adjacent Space Telescope Science Institute (which runs the science program of the newly refurbished Hubble Space Telescope and will do the same for the James Webb Space Telescope), the JHU Applied Physics Laboratory, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Applicants should submit curriculum vitae, list of publications, and short description of research plans as PDF attachments to astrosearch_at_pha.jhu.edu and also arrange to have three letters of reference e-mailed by reviewers to the same address. Mail may be addressed to: Astrophysics Search Committee, c/o Ms. Pam Carmen, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218 USA.

Consideration of applications will begin on December 1, and will continue until the position is filled. Hopkins is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, and welcomes applications from women and members of underrepresented groups.

Back to top.8. Faculty Position in Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Ohio State UniversityFrom: WIPHYS Sep 24, 2009

Department of Physics at The Ohio State University anticipates a tenure track faculty appointment effective Fall Quarter 2010. Highly qualified candidates in all areas of particle astrophysics and cosmology are invited to apply. While we are primarily searching for a junior experimentalist, exceptionally well-qualified candidates at all levels in either theory or experiment will be considered.

The position is affiliated with the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics, a joint venture between the Departments of Physics and Astronomy, and a joint appointment in the Department of Astronomy is possible. Additional information about CCAPP can be found at

Applicants should have a Ph.D. and an outstanding research record. A commitment to excellence in teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels is essential.

The Department currently has 55 faculty and approximately 60 postdoctoral researchers and research scientists, 160 graduate students, and 250 undergraduate majors. Our expanding research operation is located in the new Physics Research Building, which contains state-of-the-art office, meeting, and laboratory space. Additional information about the department may be found at

Candidates should submit a letter of application, a complete curriculum vitae including a list of publications, a brief description of research plans, and a teaching statement. Senior applicants should provide contact information for at least four people from whom letters of reference may be requested. Junior applicants should arrange for at least four letters of reference to be sent to:

Applications received by 1 December 2009 are assured of full consideration. Job application assistance is available for dual career situations. To build a diverse workforce, Ohio State encourages applications from women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. Flexible work options are available. Ohio State is an NSF ADVANCE Institution. EEO/AA Employer.

[This anonymous response was sent to WIPHYS after the following job announcement appeared. We checked the original posting, and it does appear to be a legitimate opening. Although we do share come concerns, we feel that AASWOMEN should not be censoring job ads based on religion, and it should be up to the reader to decide if he/she wants to apply for such a job - Eds.]

I am dismayed to see Whitworth University's ad for physics faculty, for which it is clear that only Christians need apply. The accompanying statement that "Whitworth University does not discriminate ...on the basis of...religion" looks obviously false. Is this kind of advertisement legal? I've read about the challenge of applying federal anti-discrimination laws to religious-affiliated institutions. It seems like a murky area of the law.

Founded in 1890, Whitworth has been consistently ranked among the top regional colleges and universities in the West. In its strong liberal arts undergraduate education and graduate programs, Whitworth combines the Christian heritage of the University, its commitment to academic rigor and its long-standing orientation toward human service. A community of Christian scholars carries out the University's mission "to provide its diverse student body an education of the mind and heart." Whitworth is located in Spokane, Washington.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a clear commitment to Whitworth's mission, strong teaching skills, an emerging record of publications, and a commitment to institutional service. Teaching responsibilities for this position span the entire physics curriculum, from courses for non-science majors, to introductory physics courses for majors, to upper-division courses in various areas of physics.

The typical teaching load is two courses and two associated laboratories per semester, and a January term course. This position comes with a generous starting package to start a student-faculty research program. Candidates should demonstrate the initiative necessary to leverage this to receive external funding. Participation in departmental activities, academic advising, faculty assemblies, development days, retreats, committees and other forms of faculty governance is expected.

Qualifications, Skills and Abilities: Ph.D. or ABD by July 2010 in Physics or a related discipline, such as Astronomy, Applied Physics or a relevant branch of engineering; Demonstrated potential for effective college-level teaching; A personal commitment to the Christian faith and to the integration of faith and learning; The ability and desire to establish a positive relationship with persons regardless of race, gender, physical limitation or religious belief; A commitment to equal opportunity for all persons; A commitment to the educational mission of Whitworth as a Christian liberal-arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Background check required.

Application review will begin on October 1, 2009. The position remains open and applications will be reviewed until filled. Please visit our website at http://www.whitworth.edu/jobs for a link to the position announcement and information on Whitworth's faculty application process. With our commitment to building a diverse community, we encourage applications from women, persons with disabilities, and members of under-represented ethnic groups.

Whitworth University does not discriminate in its educational programs on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, national origin or physical disability.

Along with the rest of the world, the AAS CSWA is moving from print to electronic media. The electronic newsletter AASWomen reaches most of the community and many people interested in the issues of women in astronomy are participating in blogs and chatrooms. Corresponding, there have been 2 changes to STATUS, the printed newsletter of the AAS CSWA: (i) we are improving the electronic archive and (ii) the newsletter will come out once (rather than twice) per year.

(1) Back issues of STATUS are now online. They have always been available as .pdf files but we now have all the separate articles as .html files - and the archive is searchable.

There are lots of interesting stuff in these back issues - covering topics that seem to recur - e.g., balancing work and family, graduate recruitment, biographies of women astronomers, gender in/equality, mentoring, etc.

(2) I am aiming to get an issue of STATUS out before the WIA3 conference at GSFC (Oct 21-23). Please send me any contributions you would like to submit for publication. It could be a book review, a snippet of news, an article you read elsewhere that you think should be shared by the community, an anonymous Notes From A Life about your experiences. Please send the contributions to

Early registration for the 215th AAS Meeting to be held in Washington, DC is from 1 September - 30 September. The abstract submission deadline is 9:00 PM EDT on Thursday, 1 October. For more information, please see the home page of

Back to top.4. IYA 2009 - Are You Involved?From: Michele M. Montgomery [montgomery_at_physics.ucf.edu

Each month events are planned around the world for IYA 2009. Not all events are local! For example, you can streamcast 'live' via National Galactic Television to view deep sky objects seen from e.g., the Southern Galactic Telescope in Australia. The live broadcasts target night sky objects of interest as seen from the Southern Hemisphere whenever weather conditions are favorable. For this type of event and others, see the IYA 2009 Events Calendar at

Back to top.5. SMA Postdoctoral FellowshipsFrom: David Wilner [dwilner_at_cfa.harvard.edu]

The Submillimeter Array (SMA), a collaborative project of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Taiwan), consists of eight movable 6 meter diameter antennas that together combine to make uniquely detailed images in the submillimeter part of the spectrum, through atmospheric windows that open up on the high, dry summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii. With collecting area comparable to the largest single dish submillimeter telescopes and baselines to 500 meters, the SMA is used for subarcsecond resolution studies of a wide range of astrophysical phenomena, including Solar System bodies, protoplanetary disks, star forming regions, evolved stars, supermassive black holes, and galaxies both nearby and at cosmological distances.

Applications are invited for SMA Postdoctoral Fellowships starting in fall 2010. These positions are aimed chiefly at research in submillimeter astronomy, and the successful candidates will propose and participate in science observations with the SMA. Applicants must have a recent Ph.D. in astronomy or a related field. Practical experience in millimeter or submillimeter wavelength astronomy, radio interferometry, instrumentation, or experience in any applicable branch of astrophysical theory is desirable. It is expected that the SMA Fellows will be based at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA. Candidates who would like to be based at the SMA facility at the University of Hawaii, Hilo, HI, are also encouraged to apply. Information and instructions for submitting applications can be found at

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

So, part of the reason I haven't been posting frequently these recent months is that I have this great big issue hanging over my head, like a cloud appearing over the horizon, but steadily coming closer and casting a shadow over everything. Things have only gotten worse as the I've begun to realize just how monstrous and terrible that cloud really is.

This cloud is job hunting.

I'm in the last year of my fellowship, you see, so now is the time to start really panicking. I've been reluctant to discuss job hunting much here, because I feel like it's too personal to talk about in specifics. Also, let's just say that the tone of such discussions might not be appropriate for this forum. With that in mind, I will make this one post here, and then disappear until spring after the storm subsides.

Recently, a senior male colleague showed me a brief article about a National Academies report on gender differences in career advancement in STEM fields, which I belive is this one (see also here). The upshot is that the primary reason women don't advance to faculty positions at the same rate men do is because they simply don't apply. However, they do pretty well at actually getting those jobs.

On one level, that should be comforting to me, since I am still in the game, and as long as I stay in the game, I should be fine, right? But then I start thinking about why would women self-select themselves out of the process anyway, and suddenly I wonder if I'm not better off following them. Because life as an academic is not easy to begin with. Because there's plenty of societal pressure for women to take on all the domestic duties regardless of her career choices. Because women are less inclined to be confident in their abilities. Because women are more often than not the trailing spouse in an academic couple. Every woman has her own individual reason for leaving, and justifications are likely very sound. It's when those reasons start fitting into a pattern that you realized that it's a problem.

Every year you see one, sometimes two, women whose names are all over the job rumo(u)r mill. Given the small size of field of astronomy, and the fact that departments are looking for diversity, if a woman is clearly qualifed, everyone wants her. And given the small number statistics, there might be only one or two of them in a given year.

But then again, maybe that old adage about women having to work twice as hard to get half the credit holds true. Certainly, I think that's true for those of us who are also mothers: we basically work two full-time jobs. In fact, it's been shownthat mothers are at a disadvantage with respect to both fathers and childless women when it comes to career advancement.

So, as I enter into this season's job hunt, I see that the statistics are both for me and against me, it's just a matter of which statistic I will become a part of. To top that off, this year's job season looks like it will be especially rough. Certainly there may be many reasons while I might succeed or fail. But my story is only one of many, and when you add all those stories up, what will those data show?

As a new academic year begins, we invite you to help us expand our community of readers and contributors. Please forward this issue of AASWOMEN to any new students, post-docs, and scientists that may be interested. Instructions for how to Submit, Subscribe, or Unsubscribe to AASWOMEN appear at the end of each issue and are repeated here (please remember to replace "@" in the e-mail address).

Back to top.2. Welcome and ThanksFrom: Joan Schmelz [jschmelz_at_memphis.edu]

Please join me in welcoming our new CSWA members: Anne Hornschemeier, George Jacoby, Donald Kniffen, and Marc Postman. We should also thank the returning members for their hard work: Michele Montgomery, Hannah Jang-Condell, Wallace Sargent, Caroline Simpson, and Joannah Hinz.

A very special thanks goes out to our retiring members: Geoff Clayton and John Feldmeier. Among other duties, Geoff served as CSWA chair for the last two years and John maintained the committee's web site at:

As we start a new academic year, I would like you to think about (new) issues that CSWA should address. In years past, we've dealt with things like discrimination and sexual harassment; although this still happens, at least the number of incidents has diminished and there are procedures for dealing with them. More recently, the committee has addressed the two-body problem and work-life balance. As with discrimination and harassment, these issues are not "solved," and more work needs to be done, but progress has been made.

What are the issues concern you?

Back to top.4. Women in Astronomy IIIFrom: Ann Hornschemeier [Ann.Hornschemeier_at_nasa.gov]

We would like to invite you to attend the upcoming "Women in Astronomy and Space Science" meeting, which is subtitled "Meeting the Challenges of an Increasingly Diverse Workforce."

This meeting has broad sponsorship, from NASA and NSF as well as STScI, USRA, AURA, AIU, APL, JPL, CfA, and NGST.

The meeting takes place at the Inn and Conference Center, University of Maryland University College from October 21 to October 23, with the conference dinner on Thursday, October 22nd.

While the first word in the title is "Women", there is also a strong emphasis on minorities, and generational differences as well as women in the workforce, with a great line-up of speakers, panels, and networking events. The meeting emphasizes best practices for success and is meant to be useful to women and men, to early career, mid-career, and senior career scientists.

A number of networking events are planned, with networking breakfasts every morning providing an opportunity for early career scientists to interact with keynote attendees.

1) Today is the first day of school, and since my youngest is starting kindergarten, I walked the kids into school this morning. The principal greeted me, saying "Now you have both kids in school! Going back home to a quiet house?" To which I replied, "Um, no, actually, I have to go to work." To be fair, I dressed this morning in jeans and a T-shirt, so I guess I could see the confusion. But still, what's the point in being in a profession where I can dress how I like if the rest of the world is still going to judge me by my clothes anyway?

2) This blog is attracting more and more spammers. The latest one is from some guy who would like me to link to his blog that rehashes space science news. I'd be more tempted to click through and see what his blog actually was about if the email weren't addressed to "Dear Sir."

The College of Wooster Physics Department invites applications for a tenure track Assistant Professor position beginning fall 2010 to teach a variety of physics courses and labs, guide student research projects, and develop a publishable research program involving students. Ph.D. in Physics or related field required. Experimentalist preferred. Participation in the College's interdisciplinary programs, including First-Year Seminar, is expected.

Our department is an inclusive community that emphasizes cooperation over competition, resulting in high student satisfaction (AIP report June 2004) with close faculty-student interactions and mentoring. Our physics club has won national awards for its elementary school outreach program. Each Wooster student completes a yearlong senior thesis project in our nationally recognized senior capstone program. Wooster ranks in the top 3 percent nationally as the baccalaureate origin of Ph.D.s when compared with other 4-year institutions. Over 16 years, students from 19 states and 40 institutions have collaborated with our faculty on NSF-REU funded research projects. More information about our department is available at

www3.wooster.edu/physics .

Send curriculum vitae, teaching philosophy, research plan, unofficial graduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation to Dr. Susan Lehman, Chair, Department of Physics, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH 44691 or SLehman_at_wooster.edu. Electronic submission (pdf) is preferred. Consideration of applications will begin 15 October 2009 and will continue until the position is filled.

The College of Wooster is an independent college of the liberal arts and sciences with a commitment to excellence in undergraduate education. The College values diversity, strives to attract qualified women and minority candidates, and encourages individuals belonging to these groups to apply. Wooster seeks to ensure diversity by its policy of employing persons without regard to age, sex, color, race, creed, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. The College of Wooster is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action Employer. Employment is subject to federal laws requiring verification of identity and legal right to work in the United States as required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act. Drug-free workplace.

1. Some Thoughts on Women in AcademiaFrom: Rosemary Mardling [Rosemary.Mardling_at_sci.monash.edu.au]

I am an astrophysicist at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. In Australia there are four teaching/research academic levels: Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor and Professor. Over all levels in our Faculty of Science, 17% are women, and at the top two levels, this drops even further to 9% (total staff 112).

The topic has been discussed to death with no resolution: women with families or who plan to have families feel they do not want to subject themselves to the huge stresses associated with academic competition at the same time as coping with family life. The academic system (like any system) has evolved to suit the majority. There are benchmarks for how many publications and grants one should have to be worthy of any particular academic level (or to simply enter the system in the first place), and these of course are set by the majority. In my Faculty at least, it seems that a large fraction of the male academic staff (including young guys) have partners who stay at home or work part-time. Such people have an enormous advantage, especially brain- clutter-wise!

Try as I may, I cannot think of a solution to the problem. Is it reasonable to ask that our family status be taken into account during the bean-counting exercise performed by appointment and promotion committees? As a male colleague once said to me: why should I do your work for you? And many women colleagues without kids reasonably ask this question even more loudly! While Monash does now ask committees to take family status into account, I don't really think it is in practice.

In my opinion, the only way things will change is if (1): more *men* start to feel that it is very unhealthy and unfair for the system to be so biased towards men, and start making a noise about it, and (2): more men experience what it is *really* like to run a family (and not just claim that picking up the kids from school and emptying the dishwasher constitute real involvement). This in turn will affect the benchmarks, and will not disadvantage those without family responsibilities (in fact it will help them).

While it is great to have an IAU resolution encouraging the support of female astronomers, I don't really see how this will change things practically until there is real cultural change in the broader community.

Back to top.2. Input Needed for Website for Young Women in Science From: WIPHYS, August 28, 2009

The website "Under the Microscope" is aimed at encouraging young women in science. The site includes a plea for stories, advice, and tips on how to succeed from women scientists on their "About Us" page, linked from the home page at http://underthemicroscope.com .

August 31, 2009. The Association for Women in Science (AWIS) has received an ADVANCE grant from NSF to partner with discipline societies to improve recognition for women and minorities in STEM. This grant will fund a new project: "Advancing Ways of Awarding Recognition in Disciplinary Societies (AWARDS)," designed to create a sustainable framework for assuring progress towards more equitable rewards and recognition for women and members of underrepresented groups in a wide range of scientific communities. The complete press release can be read at http://www.awis.org/ .

Back to top.4. Century of Physics Timeline PostersFrom: WIPHYS, September 3, 2009

This dramatic timeline that depicts the past hundred years of physics in a set of 11 posters was designed for the APS Centennial in 1999. A few sets are still available for purchase. To order, please download the Century of Physics Timeline Poster order form at http://www.aps.org/programs/outreach/resources/timeline.cfm .

Price is $50 (US and Canada only) including shipping and handling. International orders are calculated individually; please email timeline_at_aps.org for details before ordering.

Back to top.5. Professional Skills Development Workshops (Astronomy)From: Hannah Jang-Condell [hannah_at_astro.umd.edu]

Coaching in the Art of Strategic Negotiation

In conjuction with the Women in Astronomy and Space Science 2009 Conference, a professional skills development workshop is planned for the afternoon of Tuesday, October 20. Participants will develop negotiation skills through interactive means including case studies, personal assessments, and role playing. The workshop is open to postdocs and early faculty. Although the workshop is designed with the needs of women scientists in mind, persons of all backgrounds are welcome to apply. Workshop attendance is limited to 40.

I attended a very similar workshop put together by the APS [see next item -- eds.] at the last March meeting and let me tell you, it was EXTREMELY useful. Quite an eye-opening experience. However, the field of astronomy has its own unique set of issues, so having a more tailored workshop should be extremely helpful, especially for those of us on the job market.

Back to top.6. Professional Skills Development Workshops (APS)From: WIPHYS, September 1, 2009

The American Physical Society will offer one-day workshops for women post-docs and women faculty in physics on February 12 (Washington, DC) and again on March 14 (Portland, Oregon), in association with the 2010 APS annual meetings.

Workshops will be limited in size for optimal benefits. There will be separate sessions as follows:

The workshops will offer professional training on effective negotiation, communication and leadership skills, as well as a special opportunity for networking at the reception afterwards. There will be separate sessions for post-docs and women faculty.

All participants may receive a stipend of up to $850 towards hotel and travel expenses. Details are now posted at www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/skills/index.cfm. To ensure maximum interaction, the workshops will be limited in size.

Support for these workshops has been received from the National Science Foundation.

The Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics invites applications for the YCAA Postdoctoral Prize Fellowship in Astronomy and Astrophysics, to be awarded to a young scientist of exceptional ability who will have received her/his Ph.D. by June 2010 in observational, theoretical, or experimental astronomy or astrophysics/cosmology. The Fellowship is for three years (renewed annually subject to performance), and offers competitive salary ($60,000), benefits, and research funds.

Conveniently located between New York City and Boston, Yale offers a lively intellectual environment and access to world-class astronomical facilities, including the Keck, WIYN and SMARTS telescopes, and to Chilean telescopes through collaboration with the Univ. de Chile, as well as High-Performance Computing facilities. The YCAA Prize Postdoctoral Fellow will be free to carry out his/her own research program, although preference will be given to research interests that align with those of the Yale astrophysics faculty (see www.yale.edu/ycaa/membership.html ). Active research at Yale includes solar astrophysics, nuclear astrophysics, astrometry, star formation, stellar evolution, galactic structure, black holes, local group galaxies, high-energy astrophysics, multiwavelength surveys (QUEST, GOODS, COSMOS, MUSYC, SDSS), active galaxies and blazars, galaxy evolution, galaxy clusters, large-scale structure, gravitational lensing, dark matter, dark energy, and cosmology.

Applicants should send their curriculum vitae, bibliography, and a brief description of the anticipated research program by November 8, 2009 to the address above. Email submission as a pdf is strongly preferred. Candidates should also arrange for at least 3 letters of recommendation to arrive by November 8. Fellowship candidates will automatically be considered for any open postdoctoral positions at Yale in their fields of interest, unless they ask to be considered only for the YCAA Prize Postdoctoral Fellowship. Yale is an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity Employer, and we particularly encourage applications from women and members of minority groups.

Back to top.8. MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in PhysicsFrom: WIPHYS, September 4, 2009

Nominations for the 2010-2013 MIT Pappalardo Fellowships in Physics competition are open through Friday, September 11, 2009. Candidates for the Pappalardo Fellowships cannot apply themselves, but must be sponsored by a faculty member or senior researcher within physics, astronomy or related fields. Nominations should be submitted on-line via the Pappalardo Fellowships web site, and do NOT require letters of reference at this time.

Note that nominees must be young women or men of exceptional ability who currently have or will have received a doctoral degree in physics, astronomy or related fields by September 1, 2010. Should you need further information, please contact the program's administrator, Ms. Carol Breen, at breen_at_mit.edu.

Back to top.9. Two Tenure-Track Positions, Dennison UniversityFrom: WIPHYS, September 3, 2009

The Denison University Department of Physics and Astronomy invites applications for 2 tenure track assistant professor positions preferably starting Fall, 2010, although a later start may be considered under exceptional circumstances. Ph.D. required. We are seeking candidates vitally interested in teaching physics at both the beginning and advanced levels including laboratory-based courses. The successful applicant is expected to carry out active research with the involvement of undergraduates. Substantial start-up funds for research will be available, and Denison supports generous professional and family leave programs.

Denison University is a highly-selective liberal arts college of 2100 students, located in Granville, Ohio, 30 minutes from Columbus. The department consists of seven faculty, a technical assistant, and an academic administrative assistant. Facilities include excellent equipment for both teaching and research, first class on-site experimental labs, a link to the Ohio Supercomputer, an observatory, a planetarium, and a well-equipped machine shop. Additional information may be obtained from our web site at http://www.denison.edu/physics/ .

Applicants should submit vita, graduate school transcripts, a description of teaching interests and experience, a proposed research plan including the means for involving undergraduates, and three (3) letters of reference online at https://employment.denison.edu .

Applications received by October 15, 2009 will receive full consideration; applications may be accepted until the position is filled. Denison's commitment to foster a diverse community is central to our liberal arts mission, therefore candidates from traditionally underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Back to top.10. Faculty Position, University of OregonFrom: WIPHYS, September 4, 2009

The Department of Physics at the University of Oregon invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position in the areas of theoretical particle physics, astrophysics, or cosmology. We anticipate an appointment at the level of assistant professor.

Candidates will be considered in all areas of theoretical particle physics, including the physics of the standard model and beyond, astro-particle physics including dark matter and dark energy, and theoretical cosmology. The successful candidate will have a PhD in Physics or related discipline, demonstrate a strong record of research, and participate effectively in teaching at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Applicants should submit a letter of application, curriculum vita, list of publications, and a brief statement of research interests. They should also arrange to have a minimum of three letters of reference sent directly to us. Applications and letters of recommendation should be sent to theorysearch_at_uoregon.edu ; PDF format for all documents is strongly preferred.

The position begins in Fall 2010. Review of applications will begin November 15, 2009. We shall consider applications until the position is filled. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. For further information, please visit http://physics.uoregon.edu or contact the search committee at theorysearch_at_uoregon.edu. The successful applicant will support and enhance a diverse learning and working environment.

An equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Those of you who are postdocs or early (i.e. untenured) faculty should sign up for this workshop being held the afternoon before the meeting starts (October 20). Here's a quick blurb:

In conjuction with the Women in Astronomy and Space Science 2009 Conference, a professional skills development workshop is planned for the afternoon of Tuesday, October 20. Participants will develop negotiation skills through interactive means including case studies, personal assessments, and role playing. The workshop is open to postdocs and early faculty. Although the workshop is designed with the needs of women scientists in mind, persons of all backgrounds are welcome to apply. Workshop attendance is limited to 40.

I should note that this workshop is my own brainchild, so I'm personally invested in seeing that the enrollment for it is maxed out. I attended a very similar workshop put together by the APS at the last March meeting and let me tell you, it was EXTREMELY useful. Quite an eye-opening experience. I'm quite pleased that I can bring this workshop to the Women in Astronomy 2009 conference, because one of the the things about the March workshop I went to was that it brought together women from all sorts of physics backgrounds. However, the field of astronomy has its own unique set of issues, so having a more tailored workshop should be extremely helpful, especially for those of us on the job market.

To sign up go to this webpage and click on the link "Sign up for Career Workshop." I hope to see lots of you there!